


No Sound But the Wind

by Clicks



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plague, TWEWY Bang, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clicks/pseuds/Clicks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The media had dubbed the virus “Noise,” due to the loud, hacking coughs the infected would emit. Explosive, full-body shaking coughs that, in the later stages of the disease, would leave the sufferer shaking, trying to catch his breath, flecks of bright red blood staining the mask adorning his face. It was painful, messy, and ugly, and no one was willing to sacrifice their own health to help an infected, no matter whom it was. All values and expectations were lost once it was revealed that to get sick was to sign away your life. There was no cure, and there was no way to ease the pain of dying.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Non-beta'd.

 

"The gods have abandoned us."

-

It always started out with a cough. The most cliché sign of illness in the movies, no one ever paid attention when someone developed a scratchy throat. They'd throw on a mask, perhaps take some medication to get it out of their system, and that was that. Japan being as small as it was, illness could spread quickly. It was common courtesy to take as many steps as possible to avoid infecting others. Viruses do not discriminate, and anyone and everyone was a target. It only took one ill person not taking the proper precautions to infect thousands, and once the virus was out, there was nothing anyone could do to protect themselves.

* * *

 

_Chapter one_

The media had dubbed the virus "Noise," due to the loud, hacking coughs the infected would emit. Explosive, full-body shaking coughs that, in the later stages of the disease, would leave the sufferer shaking, trying to catch his breath, flecks of bright red blood staining the mask adorning his face. It was painful, messy, and ugly, and no one was willing to sacrifice their own health to help an infected, no matter whom it was. All values and expectations were lost once it was revealed that to get sick was to sign away your life. There was no cure, and there was no way to ease the pain of dying.

* * *

 

"Neku, are you sure it's safe to be in here? I heard the shop owner is a noise. What if she finds us?"

"Shiki, it's fine. If she is a noise, and has somehow managed to avoid the Reapers, there's no way we wouldn't hear her before she got too close. Quit panicking; I've done this plenty of times."

"But Neku-"

"Shh!"

Brought abruptly to silence, Shiki looked at her partner with wide, frightened eyes. Neku motioned for her to remain quiet, before stealthily moving towards the back door the two had entered from. When all was silent for one, two, three minutes, he motioned again, silently telling Shiki to follow him, muttering, "I know I heard something. Someone's out there."

The two stayed crouched low between aisles, making certain to keep their steps and movements as quiet as possible. Neku was about to state the area as clear, when he heard the sound again, this time followed by a voice.

"Beat, you have to be more quiet! We don't know if there's anyone in there, and they could be taboo!"

Keeping an eye on the door, Neku moved to find an object that he could use as a weapon. It had been in the early days of the epidemic, when people had begun to attack other, uninfected, civilians, that he had learned that if he wanted to live, he would have to get to others before they got to him.

It didn't take long for Neku to find a suitable weapon. A long post, it would be easy to use either offensively, or defensively, depending on the intentions of the newcomers. He took a breath before turning to Shiki, quietly telling her to trail him, as he went to open the door before jumping back, brandishing his makeshift sword.

Surprised by the unexpected movement, the smaller of the two strangers let out a scream, moving to hide behind her companion, who positioned his body in front of her protectively, eyes narrowed.

"Who the hell are you two?" The, clearly older, male asked, not moving from his protective stance in front of the small girl hiding behind him.

Neku shifted, gripping the post more tightly. "That's what we should be asking you; who the fuck are you two, and why are you here?"

The smaller girl piped up, cheerily responding, "I'm Rhyme, and this is my brother, Beat. We're just here to find some food, that's it. We don't want to cause any trouble."

Ignoring Neku's unimpressed grumbling, Shiki pressed her way forward, bowing her head slightly. "I'm Shiki, and my friend here is Neku. We're here for the same reason you are."

The girl's, Rhyme, eyes lit up. "Oh," she exclaimed, "maybe we could look together! Beat and I haven't had very much luck so far; all the stores we've found have already been raided, or have noise crawling around them."

Before Shiki could responded, Neku spoke, shaking his head vigourously. "No, no way. We have no idea who you two are, and for all we know, you could be plotting to kill us. Like hell we're going to trust you two."

Bristling, Beat pushed his way towards Neku, stopping only when the redhead shifted, and lifted his post defensively. Sensing the tension between the two young men, Shiki grabbed Neku's arm, pulling him closer with a muttered, "Just give us a few minutes, please," to the siblings.

"Neku, I know you don't think it's a very good idea, but I think we can trust them. They seem harmless enough, and it would definitely be a lot safer to have four people instead of just us two."

"Shiki, are you serious? We don't know them! We can't just make friends with any random person we come across; that's suicide!"

Shiki sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Call it woman's intuition. I don't think they're dangerous, and they would really be helpful when it comes to foraging for stuff. Just trust me on this, okay?"

Neku stared at her for a few more moments, before he relented, with a grumbled, "Fine. But if they turn on us, I'm leaving you alone."

Smiling, Shiki turned back to face Beat and Rhyme.

"Okay, we can work together."

* * *

 

Neku did have to admit, things got done a lot faster when work was split between the four of them. Rhyme and Shiki had become fast friends, chatting amicably about life before the outbreak, squealing excitedly, in the way girls did, when they would find they had something in common.

"Neku, did you know that Rhyme and Beat went to the same school as us?"

Neku grunted, not responding, and ignored the question, continuing to work, and shifting more empty boxes, when a sound caught his ear. It was faint, and since his companions didn't acknowledge it, he began to chalk it up to paranoid imagination, until he heard it again. The distinctive, wheezing breaths of a noise.

Not knowing if it was a regular noise or taboo, Neku began to silently gather everyone, telling them to pretend that they didn't hear anything, and to continue their conversation as they began to move towards the exit.

The sound of feet slapping the pavement quickly alerted them to the fact that the unseen noise was running towards them. With a gasped, "Shit, they're taboo!" Neku and the others began to run as well, only just managing to keep their grips on their boxes of foraged food. The taboo behind them began to cough, throaty, wet rattles that made the group of teenagers move faster.

When they reached the door that exited through the front, Beat pulled it open, hurrying everyone through, before rushing out himself. The street was mostly deserted, with only the occasional noise walking by, coughing into their masks as they wandered aimlessly. They were given a wide berth as the group ran by, occasionally looking back to see if they were still being pursued.

Once they eventually became certain they were no longer being followed, the four began to walk, chests heaving, and boxes stilled clasped in their sweaty palms. They looked at one another, before speaking all at once, relief in their voices.

"I can't believe we almost got attacked!"

"I can't believe they were taboo! I've never actually seen one!"

"Rhyme, are you okay?"  
  
"Did you two set us up?"

Shiki gasped, and bumped into Neku with her hip, admonishing him, "Neku, don't be rude! They helped us, and were just as scared as were! It was just an unfortunate coincidence They didn't know a taboo would show up, same as us."

"Yeah, but the timing was too perfect. I've been there plenty of times, and I never ran into a noise, taboo or otherwise. Something's up."

"The virus is spreading," Rhyme spoke up, interrupting Neku's tirade. "More people are getting sick, and more people are becoming taboo. Even the people Beat and I used to know, people that we thought would never, not in a million years, become taboo are giving up. It's unavoidable at this point, and the government isn't going to do anything to calm the infected. If we want to survive, we're going to have to trust each other, because we don't have anyone else."

* * *

 

It took the group longer to get to Neku and Shiki's makeshift home after that. In between constantly flinching at sounds, constantly being on edge, keeping alert for danger, the adrenaline from their escape was beginning to wane. Fatigue clawed at them, sinking weighted fingers behind their eyes, until, finally, they reached their destination - a small, isolated military bunker that had been abandoned during the early weeks of the outbreak.

"We can just drop the food off in the vacant room. It's all non-perishables, so it should be fine in there. Neku and I try not to use the electricity if we can avoid it, so the freezer is useless. There are plenty of blankets if you get chilly, but you'll just have to deal with cold showers."

Shiki showed Beat and Rhyme around as she spoke, leaving Neku alone with the boxes, which he began to unpack and organise with a sigh.

"Of course she finds a way to get out of moving this crap. Every time."

Neku's complaining was cut short when he heard a clatter, followed by a muffled curse. He looked up, brow furrowing as he tried to address the person fumbling their way towards him. Even as he called out again, not receiving a response the first time, he picked up a knife, one of the many he and Shiki had planted across the building in case of emergencies.

"Twice in a day? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Crouching low, prepared to jump on whomever entered, Neku gripped the knife tightly, face drawn as the intruder suddenly stopped, then spoke to him.

"I'm sure you're just waiting to cut me up when I walk through that door, but I'll have to kindly ask you to refrain from doing so."

Neku scowled, tempted to pretend he hadn't heard, and kill the person anyway, if only because they sounded so smug. Quelling his homicidal urges, he flexed his fingers holding the knife, and responded, "Who the hell are you, and how did you find your way here?"

The voice answered, sounding far more amused than Neku felt was acceptable. "I'll tell you if you put that knife down. You look much too scary right now for me to trust you to not do something both of us would regret."

Neku's eyes narrowed as he put the knife down within easy reach. He felt uneasy that the person could see him, while he had only the intruder's voice to go by.

"There's a good boy." Neku felt a headache beginning to form with how hard he was clenching his teeth. "Now, to answer your questions, you may call me Joshua, and I found my way here by following you. It wasn't very hard. You and your friends barely even attempted to make sure no one could see where you were going. You should work on that. No, no, put that back down; we're going to speak to one another calmly and without weapons, like civilised human beings."

Neku huffed in annoyance before putting the knife back down, and saying, "Civilised people speak face-to-face. I'd feel much safer if I could see you."

Joshua laughed, responding, "And I'd feel much safer if I didn't have to worry about you gutting me."

Despite apparent apprehension, Joshua began to walk towards Neku again, stopping several feet away. Neku eyed the male in front of him warily, eyes narrowed with clear suspicion. He shifted his weight and crossed his arms, saying, "Why were you following us? Are you alone? What do you want from us?"

"You're Neku, correct? Oh, don't look so surprised - I heard your friends speaking on the way here. So many questions you have; where should I start? Can we sit somewhere? I've been walking all day."

"You can sit here. On the floor."

Joshua looked around the room distastefully, eyeng the numerous boxes littering the floor before he rolled his eyes and sat where he had been standing, legs crossed, and hands folded neatly on top

"Now, to answer you, I followed you because you sounded like you had quite the stockpile built up, and foraging every day is so tiring. The shelter was a nice surprise. I am very much alone, and as for what I want from you? Well, I was going to just steal food while you weren't here, but since you've seen me, that's out of the question, hmm?"

Neku glared at Joshua's admittance that he had been planning to steal from them. Gritting his teeth, Neku said, "And now we can't get rid of you because you know where we live."

At Joshua's cheerful smirk, Neku groaned in exasperation. "Fucking great. Three new people to take care of. I hope you can find your own food, because Shiki and I aren't going to do more work just to feed you."

Joshua made a wounded sound, pressing a hand against his chest in mock offense. "Neku," he exclaimed, "I'm hurt. I've been taking care of myself just as long as you have, and this charming personality can only get me so far. I'll be just fine, don't you worry about me."

Neku huffed in dismissal, turning and muttering, "Don't you worry; I definitely do not care about your safety one bit."

* * *

 

Shiki was looking at Neku with a worried expression. Soon after he had introduced Joshua to the group, Shiki had pulled him aside, saying, "Neku, we have too many people here! We barely had enough room for Rhyme and Beat; where is Joshua going to stay? How do we know we can trust him not to take all our food? It's just too dangerous!"

Neku's response was exasperated. "I know, Shiki, but what else can we do? He knows where we stay, and he already said he's not above stealing. Plus, weren't you the one that said we should trust the other two? Well, my intuition is saying that Joshua is an asshole, but he's harmless."

Shiki didn't seem to agree, but had left the matter alone, only glancing at Neku occasionally. So far, Joshua appeared to be holding to his word; finding his own food, and generally only coming back to the compound at night to eat, sleep, and bathe. He kept to himself, only occasionally asking questions about the area surrounding them.

Neku wasn't convinced it wasn't an act. He would sometimes catch Joshua staring at him, and when he'd catch the other male's eye, Joshua would just laugh, smirking at Neku before disappearing again. But, since he hadn't actually caught Joshua doing anything, Neku continued to tolerate him, never really letting down his guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my submission to TWEWY Bang. It's still a work in progress, but it's slightly more refined than what I submitted to the Bang. That is, I spent five minutes re-italicising words. Honestly, I'm not too happy with this initial progression; it's pretty obvious I was rushing, but what can you do.
> 
> [Send all anon hate to my Tumblr. It sustains me.](cisthulhu.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm exhausted. I don't think we'll need to find more food for a while."  
   
It had been a long day. While out, Shiki and Rhyme had come across an abandoned convenience store that had, miraculously, been left untouched. When the two had returned to alert the rest of their group, they had been met with hesitation - a fully stocked store that hadn't been ransacked with the epidemic this far in was suspicious. At their insistence that they had checked the area several times, and, yes, it really was safe, the bunch of teenagers had made their way back to the building, quickly getting as much as they could carry in one trip, before dropping it all off and returning again to take the rest.  
  
"Neku, I'm done for the day. I couldn't lift another box if my life depended on it."      
  
Shiki and Beat voiced their agreement, Beat flopping down on a coach, groaning, "My arms feel like ramen, yo."  
  
Smiling slightly, Neku said, "Okay, since no one seems to be able to move, I vote we take the rest of the day off. There's no sense in going out there and risking running into noise when we have so much food stockpiled already."  
  
There was a tired cheer from the three sitting down, when Rhyme looked around, asking in a confused tone, "Where's Joshua?"  
  
"Oh, he left right after we got the last of the food back." Shiki spoke up. "He didn't say where he was going."  
  
 In the few week since Shiki and Neku had met the others, everyone had come to accept Joshua's sudden disappearances, usually for hours at a time. He'd sometimes come back with a necessity they had been close to running out of, and when questioned about where he had found it, he'd only give a cryptic smile, waving off the question with a, "You're not the only ones that have a stockpile."

Neku had pressed him once, reminding Joshua that he was the one who had followed their group to steal from them, but other boy had only laughed at him before disappearing again.

"I wish he'd stop being so sketchy," Neku grumbled, earning an eye roll from Rhyme.  
  
"Neku, I don't think there's anything Joshua can do to make you happy. I'm pretty sure we can trust him by now; he hasn't done anything strange, aside from leaving sometimes."  
  
"Yeah, and-"  
  
"Enough of this conversation, you two." Shiki cut Neku off, grinning.  "I feel like a celebration is deserved for how much stuff we found today.  How about I make us a big meal? I think we can afford to splurge a little, today."  
  
There were no complaints, so Shiki asked Rhyme to accompany her to the electrical building that was located a ways from the compound, and the two girls left, chatting happily about the food they were going to make.

* * *

  
 Joshua was still gone by the time the food had been cooked, and Neku felt he was the only one that didn't particularly care. He continued to,  occasionally complimenting the girls, who looked around worriedly for their missing companion.  
  
"I don't know why you two are so concerned; he'll show up, and then not tell us where he's been, same as always."  
  
 "Yeah, but he's never taken this long. What if something happened to him?"  
  
Neku shrugged, "He's like a cockroach. I don't think he can be hurt."  
  
Shiki narrowed her eyes at Neku as Beat laughed, spraying food across the table, and being admonished by Rhyme for it.  
  
"You know, Neku, you could at least pretend to care. I'm starting to feel you don't like me too much."  
  
"And there goes my appetite." Neku muttered, turning to glare at Joshua as he made his way into the room. "Where the hell have you been?"  
  
"Wow, look at all this food. What's the occasion? It smells fantastic." Joshua walked directly to the table, ignoring Neku's question, and making the redhead grit his teeth in annoyance.  
  
"Well, maybe if you hadn't run off, you would know," Neku grumbled as he was, once again, ignored, while Shiki and Rhyme explained their desire to make a large meal in celebration of finding the store.  
  
"My, I certainly can't complain about this, when it all looks so good. You two made a wonderful meal out of what little we have - colour me impressed."  
  
The girls blushed at the praise while Neku mimed gagging behind their backs.

* * *

  
 It took several days for the group to finish all the food that had been made, with Rhyme admitting that she and Shiki had perhaps been too excited while they cooked, not anticipating the quantity of food they would have, and how long it would take to eat it.  
  
Their lives had fallen into a kind of lull, without the need to forage, and without the worry that they would run out of some vital necessity. Days were long, and everyone was beginning to become restless. Surprisingly, Rhyme seemed to be feeling the cabin fever the worst. She would wander around the compound, asking whoever was in earshot if they needed anything from the outside.  
  
"I just want to get out," she admitted, after a concerned Beat asked her why she was so anxious to leave. "Being inside so much is making me stir-crazy. I have to get out."  
  
It didn't take much longer for Rhyme to find her temporary relief in the form of dirty laundry.  
  
"We've run out of laundry soap." Shiki said at dinner one day, "I know, Rhyme, you've been saying you want to get out, so could you and Beat go out and try to find us some?"  
  
"I can definitely do that!" Rhyme said cheerily, before she wandered off to find her brother.

* * *

  
Rhyme chatted happily as she and Beat searched for the laundry detergent, making her brother smile at her sudden upbeat mood.  
  
"Oh, Beat, could you go check next door while I look in this building? It's pretty small, so I can do it by myself."  
  
She smiled cheekily at Beat's worried look. "I can take care of myself, you know. You don't have to worry so much!"  
  
Beat gave a resigned sigh. "Fine, but you better not get hurt."  
  
"Of course!" Rhyme chirped, entering her store with a quick wave to her brother.

* * *

  
"All this stuff, and no soap. Everything but."  
  
So far, Rhyme's search was appearing fruitless. None of the shelves she checked held what she was looking for, and she was beginning to grow discouraged. There was one remaining room at the back of the store, and Rhyme had already decided if these last two buildings didn't have it, she and Beat would just head back, and try another day. She wouldn't tell her brother, but she was beginning to feel uncomfortable foraging by herself.  
  
Rhyme tensed as she opened the door, an automatic reaction. She let out a sigh of relief once she saw that the room was clear, then a gave a small cheer when she saw a single box of laundry detergent. She skipped over to pick up the cleaner, and began to make her way back towards the front of the store, when she froze, straining her ears, and holding her breath.  
  
Suddenly, she bolted towards the door, heart racing with adrenaline, as the sound of shuffling feet and wheezing breaths came up behind her.   
  
Someone was in the store, and they were noise.

* * *

  
Beat was checking a back room when he heard Rhyme's anguished wail. Wasting no time, he dropped everything in his hands, and ran towards the building beside him, stopping when he saw his sister collapsed on the ground outside.  
  
"Rhyme?"  
  
The smaller blonde looked up with eyes red from crying.  
  
"Beat," she said in a small, broken voice. "I'm so sorry."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Beat asked, confused, as he started towards her, only to stop again when she shook her head, standing and backing away from him.  
  
"Stay back. I'm-" her voice hitched, cracked. "I'm sick. He creeped up on me, and I didn't notice until it was too late. He was taboo."  
  
Beat stared at his sister, not comprehending, not believing.  
  
"You're joking, right? C'mon, Rhyme, this isn't funny! Don't play with me like that!"  
  
Rhyme remained silent, watching her brother with bright, glassy eyes.  
  
"Fuck." Beat cursed, punching the wall of the building beside him. "Where the hell is he? I'll fucking-"  
  
"He's gone, Beat. Like you should be. It's not safe here. It's not safe to be around me. Go home."  
  
"I'm not leaving you here alone! We'll go back together, and we'll, we'll try to make you better. Maybe you won't even get sick!"  
  
Rhyme sighed, looking at her brother fondly.  
  
"You know that's not possible, Beat. There's no cure, and we both know it. There's nothing we can do. I'll stay here, but only because I know you'd put yourself in danger looking for me."  
  
"Rhyme, please. . ."  
  
"Rhyme smiled, sadly. "You're the best brother I could ever ask for. I love you. Goodbye, Beat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next two or three chapters will be shit in terms of quality of the actual writing, since writing on a schedule with a deadline really fucks up my writing, but once I move out of the pre-written Bang stuff, it should improve markedly. Should.


	3. Chapter 3

It was quiet in the compound without Rhyme's bright voice to fill it. Even Joshua and Neku put aside their fight while they all mourned. When Beat had returned to the compound the day of Rhyme's infection, his announcement of his sibling's attack had been met with stunned silence. No one had wanted to believe the cheerful blonde had been caught unawares, had been infected.  
  
There were no tears, everyone too shocked to cry.  
  
Joshua had been the first to speak up.  
  
"Can we see her?"

* * *

  
"Rhyme, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't-"  
      
"Shiki, no. Don't blame yourself. This is no one's fault but my own. I wanted to get out of the compound. I told Beat to let me check by myself. I made a mistake, and now I have to deal with it. I don't want any of you blaming yourselves."  
  
Shiki was crying. Neku tried to comfort her, watching as Beat left the building.  
  
"Rhyme, what did the one that attacked you look like?"  
      
Joshua, who had been walking around the store, came to stand in front of Rhyme.  
      
"I didn't really see his face," she began. "I only saw his back when he was running away. He had this weird jacket on. I think it was supposed to look like a dinosaur, or maybe a shark. You're not going to look for him, are you? Please, don't."  
  
Rhyme's voice lowered to a murmur as she described the taboo, furtively glancing towards the window where her brother paced outside.  
  
"I won't if you don't want me to." Joshua said, smiling slightly at the small girl's audible sigh of relief.  
      
"I don't know how long it will take for me to begin showing symptoms, but when I do, I want you to stay safe. I really don't want you putting yourselves in danger being around me once I really start to get sick, and," Rhyme glanced at her brother as he walked back inside, "I think that would be best if all of you just stayed away once that happens."  
      
Beat stared at Rhyme, a hurt expression making its way across his face.  
      
"Why don't you want us seeing you? Why don't you want _me_ to see you?"  
      
"I imagine it's because she doesn't know how easily the virus can spread." Joshua spoke up, sitting idly on an overturned box.  
      
"We know it's easy to spread if you don't take the proper precautions to keep yourself safe; not getting too close to them, assuming they will extend a measure of courtesy and wear a mask if they're wandering around. But, we don't know what the transmission rate is if you are only spending a large amount of time near a noise, even if they _are_ taking the proper precautions. Who's to say we're not all carrying the virus on our clothing right now? And if even one of the reapers sees us coming here too often, they'll get suspicious, and may end up removing Rhyme."  
      
"Why would they hurt her? It's not like she's done anything wrong!"  
      
"Joshua waved off Shiki's exclamation with a shrug. "They don't care. The reapers aren't here to help anyone, or keep anyone safe. Noise aren't the only things we should be worried about. This is the reapers' game, and we're just the players. They won't hesitate to remove us from the picture, either, if they feel we're in the way."

* * *

  
 "We need to get out of here," Neku announced one morning. "I know we're upset, but Rhyme wouldn't want to see us like this. Sitting here all day isn't going to cure her, and we're going to run out of food eventually."  
      
Joshua, who had been leaving more and more often, agreed. "Dear Neku is right. We really should try to get back into the swing of things. My sources say that the reapers have nearly cleared out most of the surrounding districts. There's a good chance we won't run into anybody today."  
      
Neku levelled a suspicious stare at Joshua. "Your sources." He stated in a deadpan tone. "You have sources now."  
      
Joshua giggled, patting Neku on the shoulder as if he were a child.  
     
"Neku, dearest. I've always had sources. You've just never asked."  
      
"Who the hell _are_ you?"  
      
"That's not important," Joshua responded as he walked away, stopping to look at Neku over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

* * *

  
Much to Neku's annoyance, Joshua was right. When the group, now down to four, travelled to a neighbouring residential district, they did not pass a single person, noise or otherwise. The streets were silent, save for the occasional sound of animals flying or scurrying away. It was unnerving.  
      
"What happened here that the reapers had to empty the entire town? There is absolutely no one here. . ." Shiki wondered in a hushed tone.  
      
"There were probably too many taboo. I've heard they just completely empty districts if they get too overrun."  
      
"That's terrifying. I'm glad nothing like that has happened to us."  
      
The four stayed as close together as they could while they walked, with Beat bringing up the rear. As they made their way through the empty roads, Shiki spoke to Joshua, "You said you had sources. What did you mean by that? What are you keeping from us, Joshua? Is it safe for us to be around you?"  
      
"You're fine, don't worry. I won't tell you any more than that; it's a secret."  
      
"Dammit, Joshua, this isn't a game!" Neku snapped, turning on Joshua angrily. "You're treating this like a big joke, but this is our life! Maybe you don't care, but we do. If you're hiding something that can get us hurt, you need to tell us now, or leave us the hell alone."  
      
Shiki looked uncomfortably surprised at Neku's outburst, but neither she nor Beat said a word, standing and watching the two young men before them.  
      
"I can't tell you anything, Neku. I promised I wouldn't say a word, and it's rude to break a promise. Don't you trust me?"  
      
"Why the hell should we trust you? You've been secretive ever since you barged into our lives, and now that one of our friend's is sick, you suddenly have people telling you where the reapers have cleared out taboo? If Rhyme got sick because you didn't tell us something, Joshua, I don't know what I'll do."  
      
Joshua looked at Neku seriously, his eyes flicking momentarily towards where the other two still stood, silent, and sighed. "I didn't know that Rhyme was going to be attacked; if I had, I wouldn't have let her and Beat go out there alone. I would tell you more if I could, really, I would, but I can't. It wouldn't be safe for me or you to know. Just trust me when I say that nothing I do will bring harm to any of you."  
      
Neku said nothing, only observing Joshua, before relenting with an annoyed exhalation of breath.  
    
"Fine. We'll trust you on this. For your sake, I hope you're not lying."  
      
Neku's outburst, and Joshua's subsequent explanation seemed to clear some of the tension from the group, and they all breathed a little easier as they continued to walk.  
      
"We don't want to get more than we can safely carry back, so I think everyone should just get what they personally need, and we can come back for food another day."  
      
"Do you think it'll still be okay next time we come around?"  
      
"It should be. I doubt any noise would want to make the trip all the way down here."  
      
Their decision made, the four split up, with Shiki convincing Neku to go with Joshua, after pulling him aside and telling Neku that she wanted to spend some time with Beat, just to see how well he was taking Rhyme's absence.  
      
Neku and Joshua walked together silently, with the echoes of their feet hitting the pavement as the only sound between them. Neku occasionally glanced at Joshua, but the other male appeared to be deep in thought, barely aware of his surroundings. He let Neku take the lead, following the redhead into a gas station that appeared to be long abandoned.  
      
"Gas stations usually have stuff that doesn't really go bad. We would probably be able to find some dried squid or something, if it hasn't been taken already."  
      
Joshua nodded, and began to walk around the near bare shelves and rack, passing over the inedible objects. He looked over sharply when he heard Neku cough, but laughed at the sight of Neku waving dust out of his face, glaring at the crate on the ground in front of him.  
      
"Fuck off, Josh. It's not funny." Neku muttered, with a sneeze.

"Of course it's not. Please forgive my transgression, Neku."  
      
Joshua giggled as Neku cursed at him with no real venom.

* * *

  
      
"Beat, put that down! You're a child!"  
      
Beat and Shiki had ended up going into a small, one building supermarket, and were currently rooting around in piles of disorganised clothing. Beat had found a bra, and was waving it around at Shiki, who swatted at it, rolling her eyes and laughing.  
      
"Are you sure you don't need it? Who knows when you'll get the chance to find more."  
      
"Yes, I'm sure. Put it down, you big child!"  
      
Beat let out a loud laugh, and shot the bra across the building, earning himself a smack on the arm from Shiki.  
      
"You're just like Rhyme, you know that? She'd always tell me to grow up when she thought I was being childish." Beat scratched at his head self-consciously. "People would sometimes mistake her for the older sibling."  
      
Shiki smiled softly. "How are you feeling? I mean, I know you're hurting, but how do you feel, really?"  
      
The blond shrugged, replacing his hat. "I'm still sad, that's never gonna go away, man. I don't know when I'll be able to stop thinking about it. I can't stop blaming myself - she never would have gotten sick if I had just gone with her, you know? I just feel so guilty, yo. I was supposed to be there to protect her, and I wasn't. I couldn't protect her then, and I can't save her now. I don't deserve a sister as good as her."  
      
"Beat, don't speak like that. You managed to take care of her this entire time. You can't expect yourself to be everywhere all the time, and Rhyme isn't as defenseless as you may think. You know she wouldn't want to hear you blame yourself for what happened to her. The best thing you can do for her now is live. Live the way she would live, and live the way she would want you to live."  
      
Beat looked at Shiki quietly, then grinned.  
      
"Yeah, you're right. I'll try to be happy, for Rhyme's sake."

* * *

  
When the four met up again, it was with a total of one box between them. Joshua and Neku had managed to find some dried meats, and a few bottles of water, and Beat and Shiki came back with armfuls of clothing.  
      
"It's going to start getting cold soon. We need to stock up on winter clothing before everyone else gets the idea, too."  
      
Neku nodded in agreement, picking up the box.  
      
"Okay, if this is everything, we should head back to the compound before it starts to get dark. I think we should be good on supplies for a few more days."  
      
The group began to walk, happy with the day's foraging. Shiki chatted away to Beat, while Joshua and Neku walked together in a companionable silence.  
      
"Josh," Neku began, turning slightly, and making brief eye-contact with the other boy before continuing, "What did you do before the epidemic?"  
      
"Oh, my life before wasn't nearly as interesting as it is now. I didn't do much, really, just spent time with Mother and Father. I was home schooled, so I didn't really get to know very many children my age. It was mostly dreary professors, and stuffy adults. It was all very dull. Are you suddenly interested in me, Neku?"  
      
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm just making polite conversation, geeze."  
      
Neku scoffed, walking ahead of Joshua, a faint blush making itself present on his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Rhyme because killing her is basically canon.


	4. Chapter 4

“Yes, well I _told_ you to keep an eye on them. I'm aware that it's a hard job, but you did sign up for this, and your sloppiness has cost them dearly, and made my life much more complicated. I don't want another mistake like this happening, understood? Goodbye.”

Running an agitated hand through his hair, Joshua closed his cell phone with a snap, shutting his eyes and inhaling deeply, before letting it out in a rush of air. Placing the phone in his pocket, he began to walk towards the heart of the district he was currently in, several miles away from the compound. He had a meeting to make, and was already beginning to feel his mood blacken.

The streets were mostly deserted, with only the occasional noise looking over at him before continuing to wander aimlessly, and the even more sparse taboo completely avoiding him. He sighed as he saw his destination begin to come into view, a small coffee shop located on a dead end street. Making his way to the front door, Joshua knocked, a complicated rhythm, then waited, foot tapping against the sidewalk impatiently.

Finally, the door cracked open, an eye peeking out before opening fully, the body behind it wedging itself between the wall and the door, and hiding from Joshua's view. He stood in the middle of the shop, looking around a moment, then called out, voice ringing in the tiny building.

“Hello, I know you're here. Come out, all of you. You have some explaining to do.”

The sound of feet beginning to make their way down from the roof of the building filled the air, a trio of adults making their way towards Joshua, standing a few feet in front of him as he eyed them all, exasperated.

“And where is everyone else? Especially Sho. He needs to explain why his taboo are running around, infecting whomever they feel like. That was not part of the plan at all. You're all starting to get lazy, and it's dangerous. We already have too many infected, and we can't keep emptying districts. People are going to notice, eventually.”

A tall, busty blonde spoke, pushing her glasses up her nose with a finger.

“Sho is currently tending to what appears to be a riot of his,” she paused, grimacing in disgust, “taboo. They appear to not be tolerating his attitudes towards them as of late. They're getting rowdy. Can't say I blame them.”

Joshua lowered his eyebrows slightly, but didn't respond, directing his attentions, instead, towards the other two, who appeared to cower slightly at his irritated expression.

“And you two? What have you accomplished? I hope you haven't just been lazing around Shibuya this entire time.”

The male of the duo spoke up first, speaking around a small lollipop in his mouth.

“Nah, we've been doing stuff. Stocking up buildings, spreading rumours, you know. Stuff.”

“We did manage to get some teens to believe that the government has a cure in the works. Kariya thinks it's best if we get them to calm down a little by giving them some hope, even if it's not true.  _ He _ doesn't like all the violence.”

Kariya shrugged, twirling his lollipop in his fingers, “I don't. It makes too much work for me whenever they're all worked up. Makes them aggressive. You like that kind of stuff, Uzuki. Not me. I just wanna relax, and smell the concrete roses.”

Uzuki rolled her eyes at Kariya's nonchalant attitude, and began to berate him about his complete lack of ambition, until Joshua spoke again, dismissing them both.

“You two can leave, and keep doing what you're doing. Having them all believe they're close to salvation may be good to calm some of the madness. Uzuki, no unnecessary violence. We want them to believe it's getting safer.”

The duo bowed lowly towards him, then left, exiting via a back door. When the door closed fully, Joshua turned to face the remaining woman, the tall blonde.

“Konishi, I want you to find Kitaniji, and stay with him. Whatever he's doing, follow his orders. He'll know what I want him to do with you. You may leave.”

Konishi left, looking back over her shoulder to give Joshua a quick once over, exiting through the same door Uzuki and Kariya had used. Joshua waited for the sound of her heels to fade and completely disappear, then sat at a table drumming his fingers idly on the top as he waited for the last person to come down the stairs.

Hanekoma entered the room casually, looking over at Joshua, and smiling blandly. He didn't speak to him immediately, instead walking into the attached kitchen, and brewing a small pot of coffee, pouring out two cups, and handing one to the younger man. Joshua thanked him, and Hanekoma nodded it off, sitting in front of him, sipping his own beverage.

“So, what do you want to do, little man? I know your friends are feeling pretty bummed out over their loss. Are you going to cure her, or what?”

Joshua shook his head, cupping his hands around his coffee, but not drinking it.

“No, I wish I could, but that would give too much away. I'm going to try to keep her as healthy as possible, though, and maybe she'll make it through until we do start spreading the cure.”

“But do you really think that'll be possible?”

“I doubt it. From what she told me, it was one of Sho's that got her, and their strain is much stronger than the normal ones. She's lucky she's lasted as long as she has without any serious symptoms showing up.”  
  
“Oh? She's not coughing yet?” Hanekoma looked surprised, his eyebrows raising above his glasses.

“No, not at the moment, but she said she does feel it coming on. She doesn't want to worry her brother any more than he already is, so I may have her moved once it begins to become noticeable.”

“Sounds like you're starting to grow pretty fond of these kids, huh? It's not like you to put this much stress on yourself for someone else.”

Joshua smiled, finally taking a quick swallow of his drink.

“Yes, well, it is rather difficult to live with someone for this long without growing some kind of attachments, hmm? I can't say I've ever really had friends before, so this is all rather novel to me.”

Hanekoma observed Joshua, taking in his expressions and movements.

“You consider them your friends, as well? Then you'd want to keep them as safe as possible, yeah? Maybe you should keep an eye on Konishi, then- I think she's planning something. I couldn't tell you what, exactly, but something's brewing up in that pretty blonde head of hers.”

“Already taken care of. She thinks she can keep things away from me, but I have eyes and ears everywhere. I'll let her advance her plan forwards a bit, just to keep her from growing suspicious, but I will remove her piece from the board, eventually. I can't afford to have disloyal pawns this far in our game.”

“And as for your friends? What are you doing to keep them safe?”

“Oh, I have a few lesser reapers watching him. No one dangerous, but also no one high enough in the chain to be under Konishi's influence.”

Hanekoma noticed Joshua's slip, but didn't comment on it, knowing it had to be intentional. He took another sip from his coffee, making a face at the now lukewarm beverage, and sitting it down in front of him.

“How much longer do you plan on keeping this going? I think we have maybe half a year left, at most, before we start losing too many people. If you let it run too much longer, people will start to get even more desperate than they are now, even with the rumours of a cure. Megumi has already told me that he's heard of people trying to sneak out by boat. We've had to completely shut down the ports, and that caused a big outrage. People thought we were trying to keep them from getting help, and leaving them here to die.”

“Well, they're not exactly wrong on that front. I do plan on ending it soon. Perhaps one more month or two, and that should be enough. I may plant a few vaccines beforehand, to let people begin to realise on their own. Not many, just a few. Only enough to get the word out that it will be ending soon.”

“And I take it your friend will end up getting one?” Hanekoma asked with a suggestive smirk.

“If she's still alive, of course. I don't count on it, though.”

“I wasn't talking about her, and you know it.”

Joshua didn't respond, only smiling demurely, and picking up his cup.

“Ah, I see. I won't pry, then.”

Hanekoma lifted his own cup, gesturing Joshua to lift his as well in a toast.

“To all of our continued safety, and to ending all of this madness soon.”

They tapped rims, and Hanekoma downed the rest of his drink in a swallow, shuddering violently afterwards.

“Ugh. Cold.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'd think that with me finally being on winter break, I'd sit down and start working on this again. I see my documents every day, and then proceed to ignore them.


End file.
